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Snake River. “Snake" is the world renowned, iconic name for an amazing Western American river. Where did the name come from? “In historic times, the upper and middle reaches of the river were occupied by the Shoshone Indians. Because they painted snake heads on sticks to terrify their enemies, and possibly because a sinuous movement of the hand was used as sign language to signify their tribe, Indian neighbors and early trappers spoke of the Shoshone as the 'Snakes'. Flowing through Snake country, the river acquired that tribal name.”
Cort Conley, Snake River in Hells Canyon
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“Many, many thanks for a terrific Hells Canyon trip - Elizabeth and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and especially doing it with all of you. Your hospitality, professionalism, and fun-loving attitude hasn't changed in 22 years. I enjoyed this trip every bit as much as the ones in 1978, and probably more… Again, tributes to all - you're a great group of individuals and even better collectively as a company.”
-W. Gray, Vice President, Books, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC
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“Most old timers knew the gorge as
Box Canyon or Snake River Canyon. The first reference to Hells
Canyon … appears in an 1895 edition of McCurdy's Marine History
of the Pacific Northwest. In discussing the voyage of the steamboat
Norma (at the mouth of Deep Creek, just below the site of Hells
Canyon Dam) the author writes: 'She then bounded off, swinging
into midstream, and, like a racehorse, shot into Hell Canyon,
where the river winds like a serpent and the wall rocks tower
to such a height that they almost shut out the sun.' … Forest
Service maps in 1935 still labeled the area Box Canyon. It was
not until the early 1950's that Hells Canyon became a popularly
accepted descriptive term for the gorge…” (Cort Conley,
Snake River in Hells Canyon)
Today, Congress has legislatively named the area. Hells Canyon.
The gorge is properly known as such from the Southern Boundary
of Hells Canyon National Recreation Area (several miles South
of Hells Canyon Creek launch site) to the North Boundary near
China Garden (river mile 73). (Note. Hells Canyon is properly
spelled without an apostrophe.)
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